Horizon League Announces Men's Basketball Conference Schedule

INDIANAPOLIS -- The race for the Horizon League men’s basketball title will begin on January 2, 2013 as the League announced its conference men’s basketball schedule on Thursday. Each of the nine Horizon League teams will play the others twice - for a total of 16 conference games - over a nine-week span culminating on March 2.

Among the highlights of the schedule is the rematch of the Horizon League Championship between Detroit and Valparaiso on Sat., Feb. 16. As part of ‘Rivalry Week,’ ESPN2 will carry the game, in which tournament MVP Ray McCallum leads the Titans to the ARC to take on defending League Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff and Valparaiso. The Titans took home their first League title since 1999, 70-50, last March 6.

ESPN has confirmed that Sat., Feb. 9 will feature either Valparaiso at Cleveland State or Detroit at Green Bay on ESPN2, with the time to be determined.

Key matchups loom throughout the schedule, including the opening weekend, when Valparaiso hosts Cleveland State on Fri., Jan. 4. The next day, Detroit will host Green Bay in the first of eight Horizon League Games of the Week, which air at 2 p.m. EST.

Among other highly anticipated matchups, Detroit will head to Youngstown State (Jan. 10) and Cleveland State (Jan. 12), while the following week will see Green Bay hosting the Penguins (Jan. 17) and Vikings (Jan. 19). Valparaiso’s trip to Calihan Hall will occur on Thurs., Jan. 17.

Rivals will square off on the final weekend of January, with Green Bay traveling to Milwaukee (Jan. 25) and Youngstown State taking on Cleveland State (Jan. 26) in another Game of the Week.

Sat., Feb. 16 will see the intra-city rivalry between Loyola and UIC, with the Ramblers celebrating the 50th anniversary of its national championship team.

All nine Horizon League teams will be participating in the Sears BracketBusters before the final week of the year pits Youngstown State at Valparaiso (Feb. 26) before the Crusaders and Green Bay help close the regular season on March 2, along with Youngstown State at Wright State in the Game of the Week.

The Horizon League Tournament will begin on Tues., March 5, with three first-round games. The winners, along with the No. 3 seed, will be in action on Fri., March 9, with semifinals set for the following day. ESPNU will carry both semifinals, at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. ET. The Horizon League Championship will air on Tues., March 12, at 9 p.m. ET, on ESPN or ESPN2.

As part of their long-term partnership, the Horizon League and ESPN are finalizing national television selections for the coming season. An announcement regarding the full slate of Horizon League-ESPN telecasts should be released in the coming month.

Last year, the Horizon League sent a conference-record five teams into postseason play. Over the last 11 seasons, the League’s NCAA Tournament winning percentage is the best among all non-Power 6 conferences.

The composite League schedule follows.

Wednesday, Jan. 2Youngstown State at UICLoyola at Valparaiso

Thursday, Jan. 3Green Bay at Wright StateMilwaukee at Detroit

Friday, Jan. 4Cleveland State at Valparaiso

Saturday, Jan. 5Youngstown State at LoyolaGreen Bay at DetroitMilwaukee at Wright State

Monday, Jan. 7UIC at Cleveland State

Wednesday, Jan. 9Cleveland State at Wright StateLoyola at Green BayValparaiso at UIC